This Afternoon, a Rally Planned at the City Point Site

This afternoon hundreds of union workers and community members are expected to turn up to rally outside of City Point against the project developers, Acadia Realty Trust. They plan to ask for fair wages and benefits for the construction workers at the City Point site in Downtown Brooklyn, where the Union Rat has appeared before. Critics allege that the $20 million in bond financing the project received amounts to a public subsidy. According to Assemblyman-elect Walter T. Mosley, “City Point is being financed largely through public subsidies and is being built on City-owned land. As a recipient of generous public subsidies and the beneficiary of public land, Acadia and its development partners have a responsibil­ity to provide good jobs with real benefits to the community.” Here’s what City Point spokesman Tom Montvel-Cohen said in response: “Since the project’s inception, the City Point team has been committed to community participation, through local and minority business contracting, employment and the construction of 120 units of affordable housing. This commitment will continue for the duration of construction and in the hiring of permanent employees once the project is open.” Also, the only part of the City Point project that has received public subsidies is the affordable housing portion, he noted. A coalition of construction unions actually started a public campaign concerning the matter earlier this month. There’s an online petition going around, as well as a Facebook page. As you can see above, work has already begun on the second phase of construction at the site of the old Dekalb Market. Check back here later today for pictures from the rally.